Penn Energy Research

	Emissions Control: SO2 Equipment Growing Consciousness towards Reducing Emissions and Increasing Efficiency drives the Market for Super Critical Technology Summary Coal remains, by far, the most abundantly available and widely distributed fuel, with global proven reserves totaling nearly 1,000 billion tones. In this scenario, since generation from coal-fired power plants is expected to increase to meet future electricity demands, adequate precautions should be taken to ensure that environmental issues and concerns relating coal combustion are properly addressed. This is achievable only through the deployment of Supercritical (SC) and Ultra Supercritical (USC) technology, which helps improve the overall efficiency of coal-fired power plants. Not only will it help reduce the emissions by lowering fuel combustion levels, but it will also ensure a significant reduction in total costs over the long-term horizon. Therefore, future government policies should emphasize the growth of SC technology and de-emphasize the construction of new subcritical plants. Scope Market prospects for supercritical technology in the growing electricity markets Key benefits derived from using super critical technology Efficiency improvement of coal fired plants and additional revenue sources identified due to use of super critical technology Country-wise analysis on adoption of supercritical technology Carbon Taxation Policy - Mounting Pressure on Thermal Power Generation for Quickly Cutting Emissions Summary Carbon taxation is increasingly being considered as an alternative economic tool for accelerating the reduction of carbon emissions from thermal power plants. The looming challenge of global warming is becoming so serious that nations need to consider all possible policy measures for quickly cutting carbon emissions. Significant developments and trends focusing on regulations and emissions trading have been the mainstay of larger economies for reducing carbon emissions. The introduction of carbon taxes has also long been considered an effective economical instrument to reducing carbon emissions due to its distinct advantages. Nations are considering the adoption of carbon taxation to accelerate towards achieving their carbon emission abatement targets. Due to a less complicated design and structure of Carbon Taxes, it is easier to quickly implement them in comparison to the emission trading programs. Implementing carbon taxes will have an immediate impact on the thermal power generation sector, especially coal-fired power plants that are the maximum contributors of carbon emissions worldwide. In order to remain profitable after the implementation of carbon taxes, the thermal power generation companies will have to quickly start upgrading their existing plants with emission control technologies. However, the process of upgrading the existing units requires huge capital investments, which when coupled with the additional carbon taxes will lead to increased pressure on the thermal power plants. Scope Market prospects of thermal power generation being impacted by emission abatements under carbon taxation Policy initiatives promoting the adoption of carbon taxes Major regional initiatives for introducing carbon taxation policy Country efforts for reducing GHG emission through taxation Carbon Capture and Storage - An Answer to Global Carbon Emission Concerns Summary An increasing commitment to emission reduction goals and the current inadequacies of alternative energy sources have driven Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) deployment. CCS technologies have the potential to capture 90% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel power plants, enabling cleaner coal generation. This new and advanced technology has the capability to retain efficient, affordable coal as a power-generating fuel in a carbon-constrained world. Deployment of CCS technology is among the most effective ways of reducing global carbon emissions despite the challenges it faces. Inadequate government funding, mainly due to the heavy investment costs, storage risks and other uncertainties have put many of the current CCS projects on hold. Public opposition, due to the associated risks and the lack of general awareness relating to this technology has also served as an obstacle to the deployment of CCS. However, despite these hurdles, many CCS projects have so far shown positive results with the potential to capture millions of tons of atmospheric CO2. Scope Need for reduction in global carbon emissions Future and current market prospects of CCS projects globally Impacts of enhanced CCS technology on global power generation market